Best place in current for Sturgeon

[Michael_Brown]

So I plan to spend more time learning the Sturgeon of NSR.
I have caught a few in the past but never really focused on them.
So my question is when fishing in a river with stiff current, where is the favorite spot to cast your set up for sturgeon.

Head of a pool?
Middle of a pool?
Tail out of a pool?
Flat run in the main current?

Thanks for any tips.

[WayneChristie]

all of the above

[upongrassy]

The only guy you need listen to answered first.

[neilsledder]

Originally Posted by Michael_Brown

So I plan to spend more time learning the Sturgeon of NSR.

I have caught a few in the past but never really focused on them.

So my question is when fishing in a river with stiff current, where is the favorite spot to cast your set up for sturgeon.



Head of a pool?

Middle of a pool?

Tail out of a pool?

Flat run in the main current?



Thanks for any tips.

I plan on doing a lot more this year also! Never caught any in the nsr. But got a drop curtain this year for my jet boat just so I can fish more comfortable on rainy days


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Looper]

Originally Posted by upongrassy

The only guy you need listen to answered first.

Not the case at all. In fact the response was of little value.

OP I will send you a PM with some actual thoughts on the subject.


Looper

[neilsledder]

Originally Posted by Looper

Not the case at all. In fact the response was of little value.



OP I will send you a PM with some actual thoughts on the subject.





Looper

Pm me to please!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WayneChristie]

well I think I have a bit of an idea where to find them depends on the weather and water conditions, time of year, amount of flow, and many other factors. in the end it comes down to putting your time in, experience, and location. most travel for the spawn, long distances actually for some of them, and they do feed a large percentage of the time, so if you dont find them in one area try somewhere else. I do best in slackwater some days, and current breaks other days. even in heavy current other days. days with heavy wind the feed gets churned up so they could be pretty much anywhere. after the spawn a lot travel back downstream to their wintering holes, so what was a dead zone one week could be a hotspot another week. same goes for baits, they may hit one bait one day and ignore it another, always be willing to change things up and experiment. And put your time in. Time is the best way to catch sturgeon. the more time you spend fishing for them the more you will learn about them and the better your chances of catching them. Time of day also plays a role, some days they want to feed in the daylight, sometimes they wont feed til after dark. (fishing not catching remember? )

[Mitchthefisher]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

well I think I have a bit of an idea where to find them depends on the weather and water conditions, time of year, amount of flow, and many other factors. in the end it comes down to putting your time in, experience, and location. most travel for the spawn, long distances actually for some of them, and they do feed a large percentage of the time, so if you dont find them in one area try somewhere else. I do best in slackwater some days, and current breaks other days. even in heavy current other days. days with heavy wind the feed gets churned up so they could be pretty much anywhere. after the spawn a lot travel back downstream to their wintering holes, so what was a dead zone one week could be a hotspot another week. same goes for baits, they may hit one bait one day and ignore it another, always be willing to change things up and experiment. And put your time in. Time is the best way to catch sturgeon. the more time you spend fishing for them the more you will learn about them and the better your chances of catching them. Time of day also plays a role, some days they want to feed in the daylight, sometimes they wont feed til after dark. (fishing not catching remember? )

X2

[anthony5]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

well I think I have a bit of an idea where to find them depends on the weather and water conditions, time of year, amount of flow, and many other factors. in the end it comes down to putting your time in, experience, and location. most travel for the spawn, long distances actually for some of them, and they do feed a large percentage of the time, so if you dont find them in one area try somewhere else. I do best in slackwater some days, and current breaks other days. even in heavy current other days. days with heavy wind the feed gets churned up so they could be pretty much anywhere. after the spawn a lot travel back downstream to their wintering holes, so what was a dead zone one week could be a hotspot another week. same goes for baits, they may hit one bait one day and ignore it another, always be willing to change things up and experiment. And put your time in. Time is the best way to catch sturgeon. the more time you spend fishing for them the more you will learn about them and the better your chances of catching them. Time of day also plays a role, some days they want to feed in the daylight, sometimes they wont feed til after dark. (fishing not catching remember? )

I am thinking that you may have fished for these creatures before.

[rasbok]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

well I think I have a bit of an idea where to find them depends on the weather and water conditions, time of year, amount of flow, and many other factors. in the end it comes down to putting your time in, experience, and location. most travel for the spawn, long distances actually for some of them, and they do feed a large percentage of the time, so if you dont find them in one area try somewhere else. I do best in slackwater some days, and current breaks other days. even in heavy current other days. days with heavy wind the feed gets churned up so they could be pretty much anywhere. after the spawn a lot travel back downstream to their wintering holes, so what was a dead zone one week could be a hotspot another week. same goes for baits, they may hit one bait one day and ignore it another, always be willing to change things up and experiment. And put your time in. Time is the best way to catch sturgeon. the more time you spend fishing for them the more you will learn about them and the better your chances of catching them. Time of day also plays a role, some days they want to feed in the daylight, sometimes they wont feed til after dark. (fishing not catching remember? )

A little off topic, Wayne how big is the pike your holding?

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

well I think I have a bit of an idea where to find them depends on the weather and water conditions, time of year, amount of flow, and many other factors. in the end it comes down to putting your time in, experience, and location. most travel for the spawn, long distances actually for some of them, and they do feed a large percentage of the time, so if you dont find them in one area try somewhere else. I do best in slackwater some days, and current breaks other days. even in heavy current other days. days with heavy wind the feed gets churned up so they could be pretty much anywhere. after the spawn a lot travel back downstream to their wintering holes, so what was a dead zone one week could be a hotspot another week. same goes for baits, they may hit one bait one day and ignore it another, always be willing to change things up and experiment. And put your time in. Time is the best way to catch sturgeon. the more time you spend fishing for them the more you will learn about them and the better your chances of catching them. Time of day also plays a role, some days they want to feed in the daylight, sometimes they wont feed til after dark. (fishing not catching remember? )

Wayne do you find that, with sturgeon, their position in a pool or eddy can be influenced by flow?

I don't have much experience with sturgeon, but I do a lot of river fishing and have found that with many species that flow often has a huge influence on where they will be located within a pool. In general it seems that the higher the flow the more likely it is that the fish will be at the head of the pool or slack water, while in a lower flow they will often be further down towards the tail. Just curious if you've noticed this with sturgeon or not.

[pikeman06]

The best spot to try is where they are that particular day. That's fishing and if you don't have the faith in changing tactics baits or locations till you see some action then you aren't actually fishing. Wayne just said it all in a nutshell. He puts in his time in proven spots with proven tactics and proven gear and fishes where there are actually large fish to be had in the first place and probably ensures his gear can handle the calibre of fish he is after. No use fishing big pike/walleye and especially sturgeon if after all that time and expense, the stars finally align and your gear fails and you got a fish story that no one will believe. Don't skimp on gear fishing rivers because you fight fish and current.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by rasbok

A little off topic, Wayne how big is the pike your holding?

that one was only about 30. not my biggest but Im spoiled

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Wayne do you find that, with sturgeon, their position in a pool or eddy can be influenced by flow?

I don't have much experience with sturgeon, but I do a lot of river fishing and have found that with many species that flow often has a huge influence on where they will be located within a pool. In general it seems that the higher the flow the more likely it is that the fish will be at the head of the pool or slack water, while in a lower flow they will often be further down towards the tail. Just curious if you've noticed this with sturgeon or not.

I find sturgeon move around a lot when they feed, and/or they feed as they travel. Ive caught them in the same flows in all different areas of the same pools, sometimes at the head, sometimes at the tail, sometimes in the middle, sometimes even in heavier current no where near a pool. Ive caught them 300 feet from shore and Ive caught them 2 feet from shore, deep water and shallow. if they arent biting in one specific spot I either wait them out or move around and look for them. from shore Iusually just wait them out, I know from experience at my usual spots where they will be eventually but even then you can drop a bait in front of them and they will or wont take it. its all a waiting game. there might be dozens in the area but you cant make them eat your bait if they dont want to, or there might only be one or two and they will take whatever you throw at them. just a matter of putting in the time and a good dose of luck.

[DiabeticKripple]

Originally Posted by Looper

Not the case at all. In fact the response was of little value.

OP I will send you a PM with some actual thoughts on the subject.


Looper

I just think someone is jealous of Wayne.

He answered the OP's question in a simple way.

[Looper]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

I just think someone is jealous of Wayne.

He answered the OP's question in a simple way.

You are mistaken.

Looper

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

I just think someone is jealous of Wayne.

He answered the OP's question in a simple way.

Id say definitely not, Looper has been in the hood a lot longer than me, I just tend to walk my own path when it comes to fishing. and everything else

[Michael_Brown]

I appreciate the insight and yes the more information is appreciated.
Thanks to Looper for taking the time to PM me. Great info.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

I find sturgeon move around a lot when they feed, and/or they feed as they travel. Ive caught them in the same flows in all different areas of the same pools, sometimes at the head, sometimes at the tail, sometimes in the middle, sometimes even in heavier current no where near a pool. Ive caught them 300 feet from shore and Ive caught them 2 feet from shore, deep water and shallow. if they arent biting in one specific spot I either wait them out or move around and look for them. from shore Iusually just wait them out, I know from experience at my usual spots where they will be eventually but even then you can drop a bait in front of them and they will or wont take it. its all a waiting game. there might be dozens in the area but you cant make them eat your bait if they dont want to, or there might only be one or two and they will take whatever you throw at them. just a matter of putting in the time and a good dose of luck.

It doesn't surprize me that they behave more randomly in regards to flow being that they are a river biased fish. I find that Goldeye also don't really seem to care how strong the current gets and just do whatever they want regardless, unlike most other species. Just thought I'd ask.

[the11fisherman]

As has been stated, there are many factors that need to be considered when fishing for Sturgeon. My greatest success with them has been in back eddies and where very swift current meets were calm water. I have the theory that these conditions allow some of the matter to settle out of the water and down to where the Sturgeon are feeding.

One day while fishing a back eddy, between my father and I, we caught over 30 sturgeon ranging from the little 1 1/2 foot spiky devils to 5-foot barrels (seen bigger caught).

But I do know that I have seen our first responder to this thread on the river and as we have been fishing, there have been times where I have been doing better than him in my back eddies and there have been other times where he is out fishing me in the swifter current. I can say this much for Wayne, he is definitely willing to move around. I have seen him constantly zooming around the river trying to find where the hotspot for the sturgeon are, whereas normally I just go find my good spot and wait for them to come to me. As I do so, I typically entertain myself with redhorse suckers and walleye.

People tend to not sit in the same place all day and neither do the Sturgeon, so be versatile and willing to try new things.

[rasbok]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

that one was only about 30. not my biggest but Im spoiled

Nice fish!